On To JavaScript

Now that we're in Week 2 we've gotten into a more secure, more custom routine that fits our cohort's needs. Rather than jumping into new material every day we have an opportunity in the morning to both go over the previous day's activity and to bring up any questions we had about the reading material for today's lesson. I've also had the opportunity to confront my learning curves: the first week I was learning SO much more than just the given material. I was not only grasping the first concepts of git, pushing to github, basic html, and css but also how to use a mac, what shortcuts I have available, how to work in the command line, how to learn in the flipped classroom model, AND generic programming vocabulary that doesn't actually line up very well with English definitions of the same words.

We've been given a week assignment to turn in by this Friday but I went ahead and jumped into it over the weekend. I've only worked on one page so far but I feel pretty proud!

This little snippet of my code is a total testament to how far I've come even if I don't feel solid on any of it yet. It was pretty simple and straightforward to learn about 'background-color' and 'font-family' but 'display: flex' is a whole new world. The traditional way of doing this is by "floating" them. As far as floating goes think back to a time in Microsoft Word when you had an image on the page. How did you wrap the text around it? Was it to the right of the picture, underneath it, or on the same line? Float is similar to the text wrapping to the side of the photo. Flex is the extra step that give you more control to maybe center the picture between two things or move the picture vertically. Here I used flex and z-index to put my navigation bar, the strip along the top of a typical webpage, above everything else even while scrolling to the bottom of the page.

If you're ever teaching yourself how to code, or curious about Iron Yard, it is a lot of work, very intimidating, but entirely worth it. I'm even saying this during the second week while I'm still completely overwhelmed but absolutely proud of everything I've accomplished so far. I even feel like I'm talking like a real programmer now! I don't feel quite as intimidated anymore at how much I don't know - and I do have to add that learning to program does mean embracing this idea that you don't have to know how something works to use it. I'm absolutely switching the way I've historically learned new concepts. Being a student of programming languages is constant - there is no 'to-do' list and there is never a point that you can possibly know everything. ALL developers use Google. It isn't cheating. It's just the job.

I encourage anyone artsy, crafty, or maker minded to take the leap into programming if you're interested. Code itself is an art. A very technical art. But an art nonetheless. Think of it as a scrapbook: a canvas of sorts. HTML is the empty book. You choose the style of binding, plan a consistent theme or layout, and collect all of your content in one place. CSS is glueing down your photos, writing your blurbs, and decorating with washi and stickers. It may not be as hands on but it does require creativity. I find it fascinating how many people can find a different approach to the same page! It's your background and the way you think that sets you apart from the others. Not in a competitive way, of course, but in a unique and valuable light. What you give to your employers as a developer isn't technical skill as much as it is your ability to problem solve and break down abstract concepts. The exact answers will come with time. And Google!